Staying Healthy When You’re Working From Home

By Rosie Allabarton, updated on July 12th, 2016Length: 2 Minutes

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It’s the dream of many tech professionals to work freelance once they’ve become skilled-up in their chosen career. Getting out of a corporate environment and managing your own working lifestyle can have a positive impact on your health, stress-levels and work/life balance. However, it’s important when working from home not to neglect your phyiscal well-being and to stay fit. TechTip has written some great advice to staying healthy when working freelance and we’ve added a couple of our own, too!

Get a decent chair Investing in a decent office chair will save you pain, irritation and long-term damage to your back in the future. So if you spend money on anything when you go freelance, make that thing a decent office chair. Once you’ve found a chair that supports your back, allocate an area of your home as your designated work space. TechTip also suggest a standing desk or a treadmill desk as options to help you stay fit while you work.

Have a timer on-hand Set a timer and have a break from your work at least every 90 minutes. Do some stretches, walk around, get out the house for five minutes and, most importantly, take a break from your computer screen. Regular breaks will increase productivity and motivation and help clear your head. Sitting for too long decreases your metabolism and

Setting yourself deadlines / break times / rewards Having pre-arranged exercise or break times will give you clear deadlines for your work to be completed by. Once done, you can shake off those cobwebs with some physical exercise that will wake your brain up and get the creative juices flowing again. Planning to meet a friend for lunch in a nearby cafe is also a good reward as it takes you out of your working environment and can give you fresh perspective on your work on your return.

Fidgeting Fidgeting at your desk can actually help you burn calories while you’re working! Don’t be tempted to sit on a sofa, or lie on your bed with your laptop, always sit at a desk and fidget while you work. If you find you are able to work at the same time, listen to some music to get your toes tapping.

Use your kitchen Although you don’t want to be rummaging in the biscuit tin every ten minutes, keeping your fridge stocked with healthy, fresh snacks is a good way to keep your energy levels up without resorting to sugar or caffeine when working from home. You have the time, space and resources to cook and freeze delicious home cooked meals so you have no excuse to be snacking on pot noodles at your desk. Also make a point of not eating at your desk. You’re not in the office now, take a break, sit by the window, at the kitchen table or even outside if the weather’s nice.